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Landlord Refuses To Return Deposit

Landlord Refuses To Return Deposit

What do I do if the Landlord Refuses To Return Deposit after my lease is up?

Deposit Return Refuses Landlord

It kind of depends on how much the deposit was and how important it is to you to get it back. I honestly think some Landlords plan on NOT giving back the deposit. Maybe not many but we had one that we fought over a deposit with and they were able to come up with things we never would have thought to document when we moved in--paint on window seals, weird little stuff.

When they came back to us and said they were not going to give us our deposit back, they listed the reasons why. It was kind of intimidating and we were new parents so we didn't know what was normal wear and whatever but something just didn't feel right about it.

I responded back stating that we would fight their decision and if needed would go to court over it. I "dropped" the title "Landlord-Tenant Act" which really does exist but I didn't know all it entailed--just trying to seem like I did! Sad but true!

In the meantime, I did read up on it and found out that the windows were not up to code and that he legally could not rent the apartment. He threatened us one more time with court and wasting his time and such--so I shared with him the code violations and said I thought it might be necessary to report those. He didn't have a problem giving our money back--the only thing was, we weren't looking for the winning situation. I would of rather not gotten the deposit back then know about the windows and find out that a child died because of sealed windows in a fire or something like that. He tried to pay us --like to shut us up and we weren't mean about it, we basically told him what I just wrote and so he got them fixed, gave us our deposit back, wrote us a letter of recommendation and gave us an honest heart felt apology.

I felt good because not only had we got our deposit back, when we had every reason too but the apartment was now safe for others to rent and I think his heart was even softened a little.

If you think you are due your deposit back and can handle the stress of fighting for it--I say go for it. You kept up your end of the bargain--why shouldn't they? There was another time I was 8 1/2 months pregnant when it would of been way too much stress to worry about it. It all depends on how you feel about the situation and whether fighting for it will cause you more harm. Sometimes being right isn't worth the fight if it causes you problems somewhere else such as health. BUT I think you should be the one to decide that--not the landlord!

Landlord Refuses To Return Deposit History & Civil Business Politics

You can also go to small claims court and state your case. Often landlords won't even bother to show up and you will win by default. If you have a copy of your lease and can prove you upheld your end of the agreement you will win anyway.

If there is a legal aid in your community you can get free legal representation. Often they will send a letter to your landlord and just the threat of legal action will be enough to make them return your deposit.

Deposit Return Refuses Landlord

Last place I rented was rough when we moved and as they did not paint and ect between tenants but I moved jobs and had to get a place fast. We took pictures and documented all damage in a letter to the landlord.

It paid off in the end as they were making claims that we did it. I just pulled out the letter and pictures that I had sent them a copy of and all went well.

Deposit Return Refuses Landlord

I usually do not ask for the deposit back. Most of the time I get it anyways. I am very good about going in before moving in and taking pictures of the rooms and their conditions. If I spot something real bad I get a few pictures of that. Many times the place is looking better when I move out than when I moved in. One place I moved out of I had placed a closet in the bedroom that never had one before. The landlord told me it made renting it afterwards much easier. HE gave my deposit back and then some to compensate me for the trouble I went through.

Landlord Refuses To Return Deposit

I've known landlords in the past who gave me hints that they were going to do that and so I lived out my last month's rent. They made an initial fuss about it and then stayed quiet because their place was crappy anyway.